Jasmine J. Johnson’s Inner Demons is an obscenely effective horror that delves into the inner turmoil of depression. The film’s storytelling is so effective that it draws you in from the first frame. Ariel Brown is phenomenal in this powerful and atmospheric short film.

Mya (Ariel Brown) prepares to start her day and fight the horrors that are forever lurking within her mind.

Mya is in a drastically difficult place with her mental health; left to keep positive post-it notes around her bathroom mirror; she has no energy for her day. She ignores phone calls and, whether purposely or not, does not charge her phone. She is in a deep depression, to the point that she doesn’t recognise the person she sees in that very post-it notes-cladded mirror. The difference? The person she sees is her without any facial features at all. A blank, empty body that is no longer her.

Jasmine J. Johnson has made something magnificent and powerful here with Inner Demons. Managing to have us see what people in Mya’s position see daily. The utter helplessness she has placed her character in as that demon inside of Mya does all it can to make it to the surface to ruin any hopes of a life that Mya could wish to have. Through a variety of clever methods, Johnson has us in no doubt how severe this situation is for Mya. There are telltale signs everywhere, and you immediately know that if Mya falters a touch, then the worst will come her way.

Usually, in a film like this, we see the detachment from society and the slow progression of what Mya is going through play out on screen. Instead, we are chucked right into the third act of Mya’s story of her debilitating dysmorphia. It’s a bold idea but one that works tenfold. The way Johnson has filled Inner Demon with dread, thanks to that opening shot alone, is terrific. We immediately have fear for our character, and we know nothing about her yet.

Ariel Brown then brings the whole of Inner Demons with her performance; you buy her stresses and anxiety with her current condition. She can’t escape what is lurking in her head, no matter how hard she tries. So when she downs her anti-depressants with alcohol, your head and heart drop. It’s a fantastic performance from the actor, who uses a lot of physicality to show the terror of when you lose control.

Inner Demons is rife with moments that work on you far more than you would like to accept. Even worse for the audience, there is more than enough present within Mya’s experience that we can relate to in our own darkest moments. This is a short film that will not disappoint.

★★★ 3/4

For more of our coverage of the HollyShorts Film Festival, please check out our reviews below.

The Dog

Fishtank

Will I See You Again?

Anuja

Shouting at the Sea

River of Grass

Wake

Rat!

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